How to Restore Victorian Floor Tiles

By Kevin McDermott, eHow Contributor

Victorian floor tiles are renowned for their unique designs and colors, but if the glaze over the tiles becomes dull and cloudy, they lose their impact. One way to restore the luster of those tiles without changing the design and colors is to apply new gloss over the surface. The old glaze must be dulled and thoroughly cleaned first, to allow the new gloss to stick. Use oil-based floor-grade polyurethane, which takes a long time to dry but leaves a much harder glaze than acrylic gloss.

Things You'll Need
Belt sander with a medium sandpaper belt
Trisodium phosphate cleanser
Scrub brush
Mop
Oil-based, floor-grade polyurethane gloss
Paintbrush
Extra-fine sandpaper

Instructions
1
Sand the surface of the tiles with your belt sander and medium sandpaper. Don't try to sand off the whole top layer; just get the tiles dull and clean. They should end up looking less shiny than they were, but otherwise the same.

2
Scrub down the tiles with a solution of 1 cup of trisodium phosphate to 1 gallon of warm water. Rinse-mop the floor very well. Let it dry for 24 to 48 hours.

3
Spread a coat of polyurethane over the tiles, using a paint brush. Brush it on tile by tile, keeping the polyurethane very thin and even, and avoiding the formation of bubbles. Let the polyurethane set for 48 hours.

4
Dull the surface of the dried polyurethane with extra-fine sandpaper, using quick, small strokes until it turns slightly milky. Wipe up the dust. Re-apply a second layer. Let it dry for 48 hours.

5
Dull the surface of the second layer of polyurethane in the same manner as before. Clean up the dust. Brush on a third and final layer of polyurethane. Let it set for another three to four days before using the floor.

Source: www.eHow.com